Fireplace attachment.



L. A. MAIDEN. FIREPLACE ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 12, 1008.

926,344. Patented Jline 29, 1909.

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may, I aibornub LEAMAN A. MAIDEN, OF MERIDIAN, MISSISSIPPI.

FIREPLACE ATTACHMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 12, 1908.

Patented June 29, 1909.

Serial No. 432,444.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEaiiaN A. MAIDEN, citizen of the United States, residing at Meridian, in the county of Lauderdale and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fireplace Attachments, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is an improved device which is designed to be applied to open fire places and is adapted for use in connection with the ordinary open grates and which is designed to increase the heating capacity of the grate, and at the same time reduce to a minimum the amount of fuel required to supply the same. And a further object of the invention is an im proved device of this character which may be conveniently applied to a fire place without the services of an expert, which is arranged to serve as a blower to increase the draft passing through the fuel, and thus insure more perfect combustion, and which may be operated to conveniently and positively control the draft.

l/Vith these and other objects in view that will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions and arrangements of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe, and then point out the novel features thereof, in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof, and to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction, reference is to be had to the following descrip tion and accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fire place equipped with my approved device; Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof; Fig. is a rear perspective view; and Fig. 1 is a detail view in perspective of the holder.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description, and indicated in all the views of the drawing, by the same reference characters.

My improved device is applied to a chimney 1 constructed with an open fire place 2 in which is mounted an ordinary grate 3. This device comprises a screen lwhich is constructed of sheet metal or the like and extends across the upper portion of the fire place with its lower edge above and in spaced relation to the uppermost bar of the grate 3, the side and top edge portions of the screen abutting against the outer face of the front wall of the chimney, and being secured thereto by any suitable fastening means, to mount the screen rigidly in position. The screen is provided near its lower end with a metallic door 5 which is preferably lined with asbestos, as indicated at 6 and which is formed at its edges with inwardly disposed downwardly flared sides '7 arranged to abut against the front wall of the chimney to hold the lower end of the door flush with the uppermost bar of the front of the grate. This door is arranged to extend downwardly from the screen, to close the space between the lower end of the same and the upper end of the grate, and when in this position, the device incloses the upper portion of the fire place and thus serves as a blower to increase the draft passing through the fire place and urge the combustion.

T he door 5 is adapted to be swung outwardly or 'aised to permitready access to the grate, and in order to sustain the door in position, the screen 1 is provided with a holder 8. This holder 8 is formed at its side edges with beads 9, in each of which is n'lounted a wire 10, the upper ends of the wires being oppositely disposed and being looped through openings 11 in the ends of a bar 12 which is pivotally connected intermediate of its ends to a lug 13 projecting outwardly from the screen. The lower ends of the wires are bent to form corresponding upwardly facing hooks 14-, while the holder is provided with a set of upper hooks 15 by means of another wire rove through the holder intermediate of the ends thereof, as shown. The lower end of this holder is designed to ride upon the door, upon the upward movement of the same, and the hooks 14 or the upper hooks 15 are arranged to be automatically engaged with the free end of the door, to support the same in the desired raised position. \Vhen the door is raised, the heat from the fire place passes into the room to heat the same, and the door is susceptible of use as a warming shelf.

In order to control the draft passing through the fire basket, a damper plate 16 is mounted within the fire place and is hinged at one/end to the lower end of the screen 4, said damper being designed to extend across the chimney near the throat thereof, or to be swung upwardly against the screen. The damper is supported in either of these positions or any intermediate position, by means of a controlling chain 17 which is secured to the free or swinging end of the damper plate, and passes through an aperture l7 formed near the upper end of the screen, and has its outer end arranged for engagement with a suitable fastenin such as a stud projecting from the wall or the chimney. Expansion springs 18 are interposed between the screen 4 and the damper plate 16, and are arranged to bear against the latter, so as to move the damper into position across the chimney, when the chain is loosened, and thus prevent the damper from becoming accidentally inoperative through the sticking of the hinges or the like. i I

The screen a is preferably provided with a transverse tube 19, the extremities of which are curved upwardly, as shown, and carry cups 20. The tube and cups are designed to be filled with water which is vaporizedby the heat from the grate, and thus renders the air more humid.

In the practical use of my improved device, when it is desired to start a fire in the grate, or to increase the combustion therein, the door 5 is swung into lowered position, so as to augment the draft through the fire basket and cause the device to act as a blower. iVhen it is desired to admit heat from the fire place into the room, the door is raised, and is automatically engaged by the holder and sustained in such raised position, the proper manipulation of the damper also regulating the draft, so as to promote thor ough combustion within the fire basket and cause the heat to be retained much longer than with the ordinary arrangement or chimney and grate, thus effecting a material increase in the amount of heat when the same or a less amount of fuel is used.

From the above description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be apparent that I have provided a simple, durable and e'lficient construction of fire place attachment which effectually incloses the fire place and thus causes a stronger draft through the chimney, so as to carry loose ashes, soot and smoke up the same, which serves as a protection from the glare of the fire, and which is: most efiicient in operation and economizes iii the amount of fuel used.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. A fireplace attachment of the character described, comprising a screen provided with a. hinged door, a holder formed in its side edges with beads and provided within said beads with wires, 21 bar formed in its ends with apertures through which corresponding ends of the wires are looped, a support carried by the screen and upon which the bar is fulcrumed intermediate of its ends, the other extremities of the wires projecting beyond the holder and being hooked and arranged for engagement with the door, as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination with an open fireplace and a grate therein, or a screen secured to the fireplace above the grate and adapted to serve as a blower, said screen being provided with a door, a damper plate hingedly secured to the screen and adapted, in operative position, to extend rearwardly across the fireplace above the grate, regulating means secured to the damper plate and adapted to sustain the latter in operative or inoperative or intermediate positions, and expansion springs interposed between the screen and the damper plate and adapted to exert a tension upon the latter to positively swing the same into an operative position when the regulating means are released.

3. A fireplace attachment or the character described, comprising a screen provided with a hinged door, and a holder provided with longitudinal stiiiening wires connected at one end to the screen to pivotally secure the holder thereto above the door, the wires be ing hooked at their, other ends and adapted to take over the swinging end or the door.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEAR IAN A. MAIDEN.

lVitnesses R. L. MUNLYN, J. C. CRowELL. 

